In Terengganu crisis, PAS sees chance to retake Malay heartland

By admin-s Last updated May 14, 2014

(MMO) – The political deadlock in Terengganu involving Umno has provided archrival PAS the perfect opportunity to gauge its voter base and possibly seize control of the oil-rich Malay heartland.

The state PAS leadership has been vigorously advocating dissolution of the legislative assembly to end the confidence crisis, seeing statewide polls as a referendum for its Islamist ideals and confident it will triumph should such a contest be held.

“I think Malays look at PAS with more confidence compared to Umno… we are serious about safeguarding the community and upholding Islam too,” state PAS chief Satiful Bahri Mamat told The Malay Mail Online in a short interview here yesterday, as Umno leaders worked to coax three rogue lawmakers to retract their resignation.

“There has been a positive increase in signs of support among the Malay electorate… and Terengganu is a predominantly Malay vote bank,” he added.

Satiful, who is also the state opposition leader, believes his Islamist party has a “very good” chance to recapture the state it ran for a full term before losing to the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in the general elections a decade ago.

Proof of this, he said, was PAS’ uncompromising stand on rolling out hudud, the controversial Islamic criminal code it had passed into law in neighbouring Kelantan.

Satiful said PAS’ consistency on this issue would translate into a definite increase in Malay votes should snap polls be held.

“Our background has always been Islamic and this resonates with the Malays here…the hudud issue, for us it’s not political as it concerns our faith.

“Malays see this and they want to support our efforts. We are focused, not like Umno, squabbling among themselves,” the Paka assemblyman said.

PAS has already said it will delay tabling two private members’ bills needed to pave way for the enforcement of hudud in Kelantan, and that it wants to allow a proposed bi-partisan committee to study the implementation of the Islamic penal code.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said the Islamist party was agreeable to Putrajaya’s proposal for a technical committee involving both the federal and state governments to examine and provide suggestions on how best to enforce hudud in Kelantan.

With the ruling BN embroiled in an intra-party turmoil, PAS has kept its cards close to its chest by being very cautious about making any unwarranted statements concerning the sudden resignation of three state Umno lawmakers.

It still remains to be seen whether Umno and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would be able to resolve the Terengganu impasse without having to call for fresh state polls.

Bukit Besi assemblyman Roslee Daud “verbally” retracted his resignation from Umno late last night, less than 12 hours after quitting.

Rumours have been circling that the other two assemblymen — Datuk Seri Ahmad Said and Ghazali Taib, the representatives for Kijal and Ajil have had second thoughts about leaving Umno.

With Roslee back in BN, the latest score has the ruling coalition tied with the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition at 15 seats each.